Key Learning Area

Mathematics

Mathematics

RESOURCES:

ARTICLES

3 Ways To Support Math Literacy by Jasper Fox (ASCD). "There are numerous ways to support math literacy and fluency in any content area," writes ASCD EDge community member Jasper Fox. In a recent blog post, Fox shares three ways educators can support their student's math literacy. He also asks readers to share their favorite strategies.

How ‘Productive Failure’ In Math Class Helps Make Lessons Stick by Katrina Schwartz (Mind/Shift). To improve math instruction, teachers should give students problems they know they can't solve to create "productive failure," suggests Education University of Hong Kong professor Manu Kapur. "Learning from failure is a very intuitive and compelling idea that's been around for ages," Kapur says.

Introduce Word Problems to Students Sooner, Studies Say by Sarah D. Sparks (Education Week). Teachers should introduce word problems sooner, researchers say. An intervention program -- "Bridging Instruction" -- included the use of word problems and found that students who participated showed improvement in several math skills. However, students must be proficient in English for the approach to work.

‘Not a Math Person’: How to Remove Obstacles to Learning Math by Katrina Schwartz (Mind/Shift). Students' attitudes about academic capabilities may be a top obstacle to learning math, asserts Stanford math education professor Jo Boaler. "There's a widespread myth that some people are math people and some people are not," Boaler said. "But it turns out there's no such thing as a math brain."

Seeing Struggling Math Learners as ‘Sense Makers,’ Not ‘Mistake Makers’ by Katrina Schwartz (Mind/Shift). How making math "mistakes" supports learning. Allowing students to make "mistakes" as they work through math problems is an essential part of their learning process, says David Wees, a formative assessment specialist in mathematics in New York. Wees shares why the focus should be on students' thinking as they attempt to solve math challenges, and not simply whether they reach the correct answer.

The Teacher Who Believes Math Equals Love by Cory Turner (nprEd). Math class features hands-on, outside-the-box lessons. Students in a rural Oklahoma high-school math class created their own math textbooks, and recently took part in a math speed-dating activity. The class features other outside-the-box instructional techniques such as using a song to help students learn the quadratic formula

ALGEBRA

CALCULATORS

CALCULUS

5-Year-Olds Can Learn Calculus (Why playing with algebraic and calculus concepts—rather than doing arithmetic drills—may be a better way to introduce children to math) by Luba Vangelova (The Atlantic)

CAREERS

It’s Never Been More Lucrative to Be a Math-Loving People Person by Nicole Torres (Harvard Business Review). Students who are good at math -- and who are involved in social activities -- may earn more over time, according to a recent study. Researchers studied outcomes for a group of students over a 20-year period and found that the students who had a combination of math and social skills reported higher earnings.

IMPROVEMENT

Math concepts + teamwork = big gains at struggling Renton school by Linda Shaw (Seattle Times). An elementary school in Washington state has raised its overall math scores from the bottom 5% in the state to average over the past two years. The initiative includes an approach that challenges students to use reason, defense and conversation to solve problems. This article outlines how the school chose the strategy and trained teachers to work together to implement it.

Want Your Kids To Do Better In Math? Have Them Trace Math Problems With A Finger by Angela Laguipo (Tech Times). Solutions for some maths problems may come easier and quicker to students if they use an index finger to physically trace the elements of the problem, according to a study published in the journal Learning and Instruction and Applied Cognitive Psychology. Researchers say the method may help students retain complex information.

LEGO

How To Teach Math With LEGOs by Katie lepi (Edudemic). Legos can be used to teach students how to build structures, but they also can be used to teach concepts such as fractions, multiplication, area and perimeter. This article highlights an infographic depicting ideas for using the building blocks in math lessons.